7 Amazing Olive Oil Benefits and Uses For Hair, Skin, Face & More

I have a ridiculous amount of olive oil in my house. To me, olive oil is like baking soda and vinegar: one of those wonder products I can’t live without.

I use olive oil with abandon in the kitchen (especially since it’s delicious, and healthy for your heart too) but I also use it in several other rooms in the house on a regular basis.

To do what, you ask?

Well, olive oil has a lot of surprising uses. I know it’s not cheap, but the point here is that if you’re in a pinch, you can use olive oil instead of going out to the store to spend money on a commercial product. By using it as a replacement for many other household products, you can save a significant amount of money. And if you’re trying to make your home more eco-friendly, using olive oil in place of many commercial products is a great first step.

Here are seven uses for olive oil around the house you may not know about.

1. Create Your Own Skin Moisturizers
I have a jar of homemade lavender-infused olive oil in my bathroom. I’ve found that olive oil makes the best moisturizer, especially during the dry, cold winter months. It soaks easily into your skin and doesn’t leave it feeling greasy. And if you soak herbs (like lavender, rosemary or mint) in the olive oil you’re left with a very subtle, delightful scent on your skin.

I even use olive oil on my face and it keeps it moist all day.

The biggest benefit here is that olive oil contains four different antioxidants, which help fight off the free radicals that cause aging and skin damage. So using olive oil on your face might be a better choice than other pricey, chemical-stuffed face lotions. Similarly, you can make your own natural green skin care products to get all of the benefits, and save money and the environment.

2. Polish Furniture
You don’t have to waste money buying a chemically-ladened jar of wood furniture polish. Just use olive oil. It works great and is much more eco-friendly.

Olive oil also works well for polishing silver and copper. I also use it to clean and season my cast-iron skillet (one of my favorite old-time kitchen gadgets).

3. Control Hair Frizz
I have thick, curly hair. And when the frizz factor kicks in, my hair transforms into a solar system around my head.

Olive oil works great for controlling frizz. But be careful! If you apply too much your hair is going to look greasy.

To get the right balance, pour just a few drops on your hand and rub them together once or twice to evenly distribute the oil. Lightly run your hands over your head to control the frizz. If you have curly hair, then you might find it helpful to just put the olive oil on your fingertips and go over curls individually.

You can also use olive oil as a deep treatment for dry or damaged hair. Comb one or two tablespoons through your hair, rubbing it in well. Then, toss on a showercap and let it sit for half an hour. Shampoo out and you’re good to go!

4. Ease Stuck Zippers
If your zipper is stuck, run a cotton swab soaked in olive oil along the metal teeth. It can help ease the zipper on down.

5. After Shave
Guys, you can use olive oil to shave and it makes a great after shave as well. Really. My husband never buys shaving cream anymore.

6. Fix Squeaky Doors
Don’t waste money on WD-40. Drizzle some olive oil on squeaky hinges and you won’t have to listen to it anymore.

7. Treat Diaper Rash
What did moms use for diaper rash before they could buy those baby items resembling white tubs of goo? Olive oil. It’s 100% safe and natural for your baby.

Final Word

Do you use olive oil for anything else besides cooking? What are some of your favorite and most effective uses? Share your tips in the comments below.

Great tips! I also use olive oil to get scratches out of my laminate wood floor. Works like a charm.

Heather Levin

Casey, thanks so much for reading! I have wood floors as well, and although I’ve used olive oil on my furniture I never thought about using it on the floor. Thanks for the tip! :)

Karmella

Love it as a hair treatment! And as a moisturizer. What kind do you use?

Heather Levin

Karmella, I use extra virgin olive oil…I usually will get a huge jug at Costco (Kirkland brand?). I then have smaller bottles of Goya extra virgin that I use for cooking/eating.

Cierra

It works great As a Makeup remover.

Heather Levin

Cierra, thanks for that tip! Does it work removing mascara? If so, I’ll be thrilled. I use the Body Shop’s Chamomile Eye Makeup Remover to get mine off at night, but at $9 a bottle I could save a lot just using olive oil.

Robby Bonter

Nothing like these commercial columns, saturated with related advertising, disguised as “public service” information. Hypocrites are saturating our lives more than olive oil can saturate skin and hair.

Patricia A Bean

Earache remedy: Heat a little olive oil in the microwave, then put a couple of drops in the ear that hurts. Stuff cotton into ear to keep oil in. Be careful not to heat the oil too much!

Heather Levin

@Patricia, thanks for sending that in! My husband actually has an ear infection right now, from a cold he’s had for the past week. I’m definitely trying this on him. Thank you!

i am using for hair treatment and it works very good up to now i hope it doesn’t hurt my hairs in future and my younger brother has got ear infection i will use it on him too

Linda

Great tips, thanks. Ive been using olive oil for years to scramble our eggs, and my husbands blood work (cholesterol) comes back so good that his doctor said “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it! It’s the olive oil, Im sure.

I am 51-years old and have been using olive oil to take off my make-up for years. Extra virgin olive oil burns your eyes, but the regular is no problem. Also of note is that I don’t have many smile lines aroud my eyes. When I switched for a little while to lancome’s eye make-up remover the lines began forming.

If you use olive oil to polish jewelry, can you use it to clean fake rings and earrings? I have been mixing olive oil with my facial moisturizer, and I have noticed that my face looks hydrated, but not oily.

Heatherllevin

Eugenia,

I did a quick search online. I think if you wash your jewelry with gentle soap and water, and then apply a very thin layer of olive oil, you’ll be ok. It’s so mild I can’t imagine it would harm it unless it’s a really porous stone.

OK olive oil is good on and in body, but for furniture polish, the concept of using olive oil just breaks my heart. If you insist on household oils, use cheap vegetable oil NOT precious oilve oil. And the very idea that you might WASTE money on WD40 for stuck zippers, squeaky doors, or other hardware-is laughble. Seriously, THAT would be a waste of olive oil. Go on line for a thousand uses for WD40, and it will put your household idea to shame.

Gaby K

it works as an amazing conditioner and leaves wonderful natural highlights in your hair. all you have to do is apply a generous amount of olie oil to dry hair and comb it through, then go out into the sun and sit for an hour. then when your hour has ended, wash the olive oil out , condition your hair and not only will you have orgeus natural highlights but your hair will be softas ever and flawless

Kimberly Holland

I make a scrub with sugar or salt a few tablespoons of honey and olive oil. I keep a jar by my sink in the kitchen and in the shower as well. The scrub cleans your skin, honey and olive oil are natural softeners and when you rinse off, the oil stays on your skin. So it’s two in one and saves on time. No need to moisturize after the shower.

Clitty

It’s great for putting on your fanny before rubbing yourself ;)

Adrine Lee

Olive oile is grate for nails and cuticles . Just soak it in extro vigin olive oil for five minutes. It straghtens your nails.

Mel Stevens

I use the por naturals argan oil for my hair and it makes it shiny and soft!

Ansaf Nilar

its awesome to use olive,

pooja

really it worksssssssssss

Sarajane Ferrer

Yes olive oil is a great and easy to use its not harmful for the skin every i use it as my regular body lotion, and I found it my skin was soft and become lighter. And I used Olive oil to my wound and it helps quickly heal and no scar.that’s why I love olive oil.

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